Mingus Mapps (running for Commissioner position 4)

Should policies be adopted to ensure every neighborhood in Portland welcomes more neighbors, through smaller, denser, lower-cost housing options like smallplexes, cottage clusters, and small-to-moderate-sized apartment complexes, via both the nonprofit and private markets?

Yes, when done correctly. I am a proponent of “smart growth,” which means I support “density done right.” I have a vision for Portland which includes vibrant, clean and safe neighborhoods. People who live in compact, complete neighborhoods, which are both walkable and have good public transportation options, tend to be healthier and happier than their counterparts who live in sprawling communities. Research suggests that at least three mechanisms are at work here. First, compact communities promote walking and social connections. Both are good for the heart. Second, smart communities tend to have less traffic congestion and thus less disease causing air pollution. Finally, reducing reliance on cars reduces the considerable public health risks associated with driving.

Equity and fairness matter. Good urban design is unevenly distributed throughout our city. Some of our close-in neighborhoods have cutting edge infrastructure and public transportation options, while many neighborhoods on the edges of the city lack basic infrastructure, like sidewalks. Similarly, because of the placement of highways, Portland’s poorest neighborhoods tend to have the most polluted air and the most traffic deaths. It is time we bring the principles and benefits of smart growth to every corner of Portland.

Using smart growth principles to address inequality and exclusion would represent a sharp break from the history of land use planning in Oregon. For most of Oregon’s history, land use planning has been used to disempower racial and ethnic groups. For example, Oregon’s 1857 Constitution banned blacks from the state. Restrictive racial covenants were common in Oregon real estate transactions until the mid-20th century. Even after formal discrimination was banned by the courts, de facto discrimination endured and can still be seen in the location and fate of Portland’s minority neighborhoods.

Issues surrounding land use planning and equity are more important today than ever. Growth and gentrification raise fundamental questions about the future of our city. Will Portland become a thriving, multicultural, middle class city? Or will poor and middle class people get priced out of Portland? Perhaps Portland will become two cities, a predominantly white affluent central city and a poor, predominantly brown periphery? The answer to questions like those will be determined at the ballot box on May 19, 2020.

Should Portland expand transit-oriented development (allowing apartment complexes by-right within a short walk of all major transit lines) as a way to discourage the use of single-occupancy vehicles and reduce our city’s carbon emissions?

Yes. My vision for Portland includes transit-oriented development. Every Portlander should have access to affordable housing and public transportation. I want to keep Portland walkable, bike able, and drivable. We need good public transportation so people have the option to leave their cars at home or live a car-less lifestyle. That is why I think Portland should emphasize new residential development in mixed used commercial districts, which are also well served by public transportation. We cannot continue automobile-focused development and sustainably build our city for future growth at the same time.

Should neighborhood associations have less, as much, or more power than other community organizations when it comes to questions of housing, such as whether new apartments or homeless shelters are permitted in a given neighborhood?

The same amount of power. I think neighborhood associations should have a voice in the questions that impact their community. We need to make sure neighborhoods and communities have some say in how they evolve – especially marginalized communities who are at most risk of being gentrified and pushed out of the city. However, I do not believe that neighborhood associations should have a veto over policy questions.

It is vital that Portland has a regional representation system so that the city can respond to regionally based issues that arise. This means strengthening the Neighborhood Association model so that more Portlanders can be engaged. But we must help them be better, inclusive and accessible. We should ensure that neighborhood meetings are held at accessible times and locations, provide support for neighborhood outreach efforts to encourage higher participation, and provide translators for neighborhoods with higher concentrations of non-native English speakers so that more voices are directly involved in the city’s democratic structures.

I think Neighborhood Associations are an important part of the fabric of grassroots democracy in our city.

The Neighborhood association model is a democratic system directly connected to the government created in a grassroots movement from Portlanders decades ago. Anyone should be able to get involved in their Neighborhood Association and I want to work to ensure that more are involved in their neighborhoods in the future. I am not a proponent of dismantling democratic systems when our past community fought tirelessly for that representation”

I reject the incumbent’s view that neighborhood politics is a zero sum game. There is no reason why neighborhood associations and other community groups cannot constructively coexist. That is why when on City Council, I will end Commissioner Eudaly’s wars against neighborhood associations. And I will call on the City to reboot the code change process, with a new focus on creating a code that promotes healthy neighborhoods, vibrant business districts and is inclusive and accessible to all.

Should Portland dedicate less, as much, or more money to regulated affordable housing? (If you answered "more money," what funding mechanism(s) would you pursue to build this additional housing?)

More money. Most of my affordable housing proposals rely upon market mechanisms to bring more affordable to the City. Beyond increasing funding for emergency rental assistance, my platform does not call for significant new spending. However, where necessary, I would support creating new revenue streams for affordable housing. There are several options here. Allocating more General Fund dollars to affordable housing may be necessary. I would look at the fees charged by the Housing Bureau. And I might support a new housing bond in the future.

We are in an affordable housing crisis. Multnomah County has a shortfall of 29,000 units of affordable housing. Several factors are behind this deficit. In recent decades, Portland’s population has grown dramatically, driving up the demand for housing. Wages for Portland’s working families have not kept up with rising housing costs.

Here are some of the steps I would take to bring more affordable housing to the City.

Protect the rights of renters.

Preserve our existing stock of affordable housing.

Create policies that incentivize the building more affordable housing, including fee reduction, quicker inspections, and streamlining the building permit processes.

Expand partnerships with community development corporations to build more low-cost housing for individuals and families.

Would you support a citywide moratorium on evictions during the three coldest months of the year, as Seattle recently adopted?

Yes. A ban on evictions during winter is the kind humane policy that I would be inclined to support. However, I have not studied the issue closely and would like to learn more about Seattle’s experience with this program.

At a deeper level, I would like to prevent evictions in the first place by dramatically increasing the amount of funding we provide for emergency rental assistance, so people don’t lose their housing in the first place.

As Portland implements an anti-displacement plan, which policies from the Anti-Displacement PDX Coalition would you support? What additional anti-displacement policies do you support?

• Require advance 90-day written notice to a tenant if the owner plans to sell, demolish, or redevelop their home.

Please let us know what else you want to see done to fight displacement in Portland.

I support giving tenants 90 days notices and would be interested in learning more about some of the other proposals put forward by the Anti-Displacement PDX Coalition. In addition, I would love to talk to you about some of the anti-displacement policies I support:

Make anti-displacement a priority in setting policy. (Where is the anti-Displacement plan for RIP?)

Neighborhood Prosperity Initiatives-- like Historic Parkrose, Jade District, and Our 42nd -- are effective tools for promoting economic development, without displacement.

Make it easier for small, neighborhood businesses to get low cost loans.

Expand funding for temporary rental assistance, so that people who fall on hard times do not automatically lose their housing.

Preserve affordable housing in neighborhoods undergoing rapid economic development.

Build enough affordable housing to stabilize housing costs in neighborhoods undergoing rapid economic development.

Pay attention to the quality of life issues that deter Portlanders from spending time and money in distressed neighborhoods.

I oppose policies which promote social and economic displacement. Portland has a long and troubling history of development like that. However, I support economic development that works for working families. Portland’s challenge is to find a way to grow that promotes economic development without displacement. As Executive Director of the Historic Parkrose Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative, I have been an innovator in promoting economic development without displacement in East Portland. In that role, I found several variables matter when fighting displacement. Small neighborhood businesses can survive gentrification if they have access to credit and consulting. An adequate supply of affordable housing is also key to stabilizing neighborhoods. Public safety and quality of life issues matter too. Crime and chaos drive too many good businesses into bankruptcy or out of the city. We need to change that.

What else should Portland pro-housing, pro-tenant community know about you & your candidacy?

I’m running for City Council because I love Portland, and I am concerned about the direction our City is heading in. Homelessness is out of control. Housing costs are too high. Too often politics in City Hall are toxic and disconnected from the world Portlanders actually live in. It doesn’t have to be this way.

I have a plan for getting Portland back on track. When I am on City Council, my top priorities will include:

Competently leading Portland’s recovery from the Covid crisis.

Reducing homelessness.

Increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Changing the way we elect members of city council. It is time we choose our city council representatives through neighborhood based districts, instead of at large elections.

Let’s hire a city manager to coordinate city services.

I have deep roots in Portland, a PhD in Political Science, and experience working in local government. I’m a transparent, evidence based policy maker. And I am in this race for the right reasons.

I hope to earn your endorsement and your vote.

Mapps received a C overall from our scoring committee. See all scores and read about our process here.